Combined flatiron support, electric outlet, and extension cord



Aug. 24, 1965 R. H. ZOFFER COMBINED FLATIRON SUPPORT, ELEC TRIO OUTLET, AND EXTENSION CORD Filed Dec. 9, 1963 INVENTOR. ROBERT H. ZOFFEE ATTORNEY United States Patent seasons CUMB'EINEE) FLAHRUN SUlPQRT, ELECTRIC QUTLET, AND EXTENSEGN CGRD tobert H. Zoller, Brooklyn, N.Y., assignor to Travco glastics (30., Inc, Brooklyn, N.Y., a corporation of New lei-l:

Filed Dec. 9, 1963, Ser. No. 329.918 2 Claims. (6i. ass-117.4)

This invention relates generally to ironing accessories, and is especially concerned with a new and improved iron support.

It is an important object of the present invention to provide a highly unique iron support which greatly enhances safety and effectively eliminates ironing accidents involving inadvertent pulling of the iron cord and falling of the iron.

It is another object of the present invention to provide an iron accessory of the type described which greatly facilitates the ironing procedure, serving to support the iron in any desired position for maximum ease and convenience in use.

Still another object of the present invention resides in the provision of an iron support having the advantageous characteristics mentioned in the preceding paragraphs which is capable of being located and arranged in a wide variety of different attitudes, for use by an operator in any desired disposition.

it is still another object of the present invention to provide an iron support of the type described which is extremely simple in construction, durable throughout a long useful life, entirely reliable in operation, and which can be economically manufactured for sale at a reasonable price.

Other objects of the present invention will become apparent upon reading the following specification and referring to the accompanying drawings, which form a mate ial part of this disclosure.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combinations of elements, and arrangements of parts, which will be exemplified in the construction hereinafter described, and of which the scope will be indicated by the appended claims.

In the drawings:

FTGURE l is a top perspective view showing an iron support of the present invention in operative association with an iron and board.

FIGURE 2 is a top plan view of the iron support of the instant invention apart from an iron and board.

FIGURE 3 is a bottom plan view of the iron support of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 4 is a side elevational view showing the iron support of FIGURE 1 in greater detail.

FIGURE 5 is a rear elevational view of the iron support of FIGURE 4, partly broken away.

FIGURE 6 is a partial side elevational view similar to FIGURE 4, but illustrating an optional position of inclination.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, and specifically to FIGURE 1 thereof, an ironing board is there generally designated 1t and superposed thereon is an iron support 11 constructed in accordance with the teachings of the present invention. Illustrated in phantom in position on the support 11 is an iron 12.

Referring now to FEGURES 25, the iron support 11 is constituted of a generally fiat rest member 15 superposed over the board 18, and mounting means 16, see FIGURES 4 and 5, mounting the rest member on the board 10.

The rest member 15 may be fabricated of suitable sheet metal, or other desired material, being bounded with a transverse rear edge 17, a pair of side edges 13 extending generally forwardly in substantial parallelism from opposite ends of the rear edge 17 and having their forward regions 19 convergent to the forward end or tip 2b. The rest member to" may include an upper layer or sheet 21, advantageously of metal, and a lower sheet 22 of insulation, such as asbestos or the like. The upper sheet 21 may be formed with a peripheral bead and crimped about the peripheral margin of the insulation 22, or otherwise secured to the latter. Thus, the rest member 15 may be considered as constituted of a generally rectangular rear portion 23, and a forwardly tapering, triangular front portion 24. Formed in the front portion 24 may be a series of through apertures or holes 25 for passing steam from a steam iron, and the upper surface of metal sheet 21 may be ribbed, as at 26, or otherwise configured to aid dissipation of heat from a supported iron.

The mounting means 15 may include a clip or clamp 3d, of generally C-shaped configuration having an upper arm 31 adapted to extend horizontally and seat on the upper side of ironing board ill, an intermediate arm 32 depending from the upper arm downward along and beyond an end edge of the ironing board, and a lower arm 33 extending generally horizontally under and spaced beneath the ironing board, a turnscrew 3 may be threaded through the lower arm 33 for clamping engagement conjointly with the upper. arm 31 about the ironing board it).

An electrical receptacle or socket 35 is fixed to the intermediate clamp member 32, extending outward therefrom, and provided with a suitable electric cord 36 for conducting current to the receptacle. Thus, a source of power is provided proximate to the iron support 11.

The mounting means 16 further includes pivotal connection means as connecting the rearward rest-member region 23 to the clamp 38. The pivotal connection means may include a swivel or pin 41 upstanding generally vertically from the upper side of clamp arm 31, and a lower hinge leaf 42 superposed generally horizontally over the upper clamp arm 31. and journaled on the swivel 41 for rotation about the axis thereof. An upper hinge leaf 43 is disposed over the lower hinge leaf :2 and hinged 0r pivoted to the latter by a generally horizontal hinge pin 44. The hinge pin 44 may extend generally along the rearward edge 17 of rest member 15. An elongate angle piece 45 extends along the rear edge 17 of rest member 15, having one flange as underlying the rest member and another flange 4'7 upstanding from the rest member along its rear edge. The nether flange as is sandwiched between the rest member 15 and the upper hinge member 43, the rest member flange and hinge member being rigidly secured fast by any suitable means, such as rivets 4-3.

It will now be appreciated that the rest member 15 is mounted by the mounting means 16 for pivotal movement both about the generally vertical axis of swivel 41, and about the horizontal axis of hinge pin 44, the latter permitting up-and-down swinging movement of the forward rest-member end 2%.

Provided on the underside of the forward rest-member portion 24 is strut means 58 for optionally supporting the rest member in selected positions of its upward and downward swinging movement. The strut mean 59 may include a pair of loops or clips 51 secured by eyelets 52 or other suitable means to the rest member 15 and each having a wire or rod portion 53 extending rotatahly therethrough. The wire or rod portions 53 are thus each disposed generally parallel and closely adjacent to the underside of the forward rest-member portion 24, and respectively axially rotatable in the loops 51. On the laterally inner end of each wire or rod portion 53 is a transverse extension 5d having a covering 55 on its distal end. The transverse extensions 54 are swingable with o 1 their respective wire portions 53 between positions parallel to the rest member 15, see FIGURE 6, and positions depending generally normal to the rest member, see FIG- URE 4. Extending generally transversely from the other or outer ends of rod portions 53 are legs or struts 56. The struts 56 may be in substantial coplanarity with each other, and disposed in a plane generally normal to that of the extensions or legs 54. Further, the distal ends of the legs 56 may be connected together by a lateral wire or rod portion 57. Upon swinging movement of the extensions or legs 54- between the positions of FIGURES 4 and 6, the legs 56 are swung between the retracted.

position of FIGURE 4 closely adjacent and parallel to the rest member 15, and the position of FIGURE 6 depending generally normal to the rest member. The legs 54 and 56 are thus optionally dependent from the rest member 15 for hearing engagement with the ironing board to support the toward region 24 of the rest member in a desired position of inclination. As the legs 56 are of a length greater than that of the legs 54, dependency of the former legs, as in FIGURE 6, serves to support the rest member 15 in an upper position, while dependencyof the legs 54 supports the rest member in a lower position.

From the foregoing, it is seen that the present invention provides an iron support which fully accomplishes its intended objects and is well adapted to meet practical conditions of manufacture and use. i

Although the present invention has been described in some detail by way of illustration and example for'purposes of clarity of understanding, it is understood that certain changes and modifications may be made within the spirit of'the invention and scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. An iron support'comprising a generally flat rest member adapted to be located over an ironing board for carrying an iron, said rest member having heat insulation on its underside, and pivotal mounting means below I r 4 said rest member for swingably mounting the latter on anironing board, said mounting means comprising a clamp for detachable securement to an ironing board, and a swivel upstanding from said clamp and connected to said rest to mount the latter for swinging movement about a generally vertical axis, in combination with hinge means having a generally horizontal-axis and connected between said swivel and rest member to mount the rest member for swinging movement both about vertical and horizontal axes, said hinge means being connected to the rearward region of said rest member for upward and downward swinging movement of the forward rest-member region, and retractile strut means depending from the underside of said rest member for supporting the latter in an upwardly swung position, said strut means comprising an angulate member having long and short arms and pivotally connected to said rest member for selected dependency of said arms into bearing engagement with an ironing board.

2. An iron support according toclaim l, in combination with an electrical receptacle carried by said clamp for receiving an iron plug.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,457,458 6/23 Plamondon 248-455 1,966,036 7/34 Malamud V a' 248-1174 2,655,333 10/53 Taylor 248117.2 2,904,296 9/59 Graham 248-1l7.7 2,950,889 8/60 Farrow 248117.4 2,994,364 8/61 Gleitsman 24837l FOREIGN PATENTS 1,087,599 7 8/54 France. 817,163 10/51 5 Germany.

55,204 10/20 Sweden.

CLAUDE A. LEROY, Primary Examiner. i 

1. AN IRON SUPPORT COMPRISING A GENERALLY FLAT REST MEMBER ADAPTED TO BE LOCATED OVER AN IRONING BOARD FOR CARRYING AN IRON, SAID REST MEMBER HAVING HEAT INSULATION ON ITS UNDERSIDE, AND PIVOTAL MOUNTING MEANS BELOW SAID REST MEMBER FOR SWINGABLY MOUNTING THE LATTER ON AN IRONING BOARD, SAID MOUNTING MEANS COMPRISING A CLAMP FOR DETACHABLE SECUREMENT TO AN IRONING BOARD, AND A SWIVEL UPSTANDING FROM SAID CLAMP AND CONNECTED TO SAID REST TO MOUNT THE LATTER FOR SWINGING MOVEMENT ABOUT A GENERALLY VERTICAL AXIS, IN COMBINATION WITH HINGE MEANS HAVING A GENERALLY HORIZONTAL AXIS AND CONNECTED BETWEEN SAID SWIVEL AND REST MEMBER TO MOUNT THE REST MEMBER FOR SWINGING MOVEMENT BOTH ABOUT VERTICAL AND HORIZONTAL AXES, SAID HINGE MEANS BEING CONNECTED TO THE REARWARD REGION OF SAID REST MEMBER FOR UPWARD AND DOWNWARD SWINGING MOVEMENT OF THE FORWARD REST-MEMBER REGION, AND RETRACTILE STRUT MEANS DEPENDING FROM THE UNDERSIDE OF THE SAID REST MEMBER FOR SUPPORTING THE LATTER IN AN UPWARDLY SWUNG POSITION, SAID STRUT MEANS COMPRISING AN ANGULATE MEMBER HAVING LONG AND SHORT ARMS AND PIVOTALLY CONNECTED TO SAID REST MEMBER FOR SELECTED DEPENDENCY OF SAID ARMS INTO BEARING ENGAGEMENT WITH AN IRONING BOARD. 